Chapter 43
Later that day, Shantitai came looking for Khushi, the latter's cell phone in her hand. She ran Khushi to earth in the garden, where she was showing a fascinated Radhika a small birds’ nest the gardener had found earlier that morning.
Khushi looked around as Shantitai came panting up.
“It’s Arnav bhaiya,” said Shantitai accusingly. “For the fifth time today. Bhabhi, just keep the phone with you – he’s calling every two hours. Is everything all right?”
Khushi blushed slightly and nodded as she took the phone. "It was on charging," she murmured apologetically to the older lady, and waited for Shantitai to leave before she spoke into the phone.
“What took you so long?” Arnav asked in an irate tone. “Don’t you want to speak to me?”
“Arnav!” she protested, half-laughing. “You’ve called six times today.”
“So who’s counting?” he returned. “I’m talking to my wife – do you mind? What are you doing? You didn't go to work today, what have you been doing?”
“I’m in the garden,” she told him as Radhika jumped up and down and made frantic gestures that she wanted to speak to Arnav. “I needed some time to myself. Radhika's back from school now, we’re looking at a bird’s nest … here, wait, speak to Radhika. She wants to tell you something.”
She passed the phone to an excited Radhika, who started talking almost before putting the receiver to her ear.
“Bade papa! We saw a birds’ nest! It’s got eggs! Mamma says they’ll have baby birds! Can I have one?”
She was dropping the ‘badi’ from ‘badi mamma’ more and more frequently, Arnav thought absently. “Sweetheart, the babies have to stay with their mother for some time. All babies need their mummy, you know that, don’t you?
“So can I have your baby then?” asked Radhika blithely, and Khushi almost choked. “It can stay with mamma, but I can play with it. I’ll be careful, bade papa … please!”
“We’ll think about it,” Arnav promised, restraining his chuckle with an effort. “Let me ask badi mamma about it … give her the phone, sweetheart.”
Radhika handed the phone back to Khushi happily and moved closer to the nest, the gardener keeping an eagle eye on her. Khushi held the phone to her ear, still speechless, and heard Arnav give way to his laughter at the other end.
“Stop laughing,” she told him crossly.
“Why? Don’t you like Radhika’s idea?” he asked mischievously, and she blushed again. He seemed to see her through the wire.
“You’re blushing, aren’t you?’ he asked softly and she heard him chuckle.
“I’m coming home early,” he said, his tone changing, becoming more serious. “Your grandmother called. She’s waiting to see you again, Khushi. And your grandfather does too. He’s old … I think we should go.”
Khushi nodded, her smile fading. “I’ll be ready,” she said, her voice a nervous thread. She heard him sigh on the other side.
“I’ll be with you,” he said gently. “Why are you worrying so much?”
“I don’t know,” she said unhappily. “Why didn't they call me? She hasn't spoken to me since yesterday. Only to you. Does she really want to know me after all these years?"
"Maybe she's as nervous as you are," said Arnav gently. "Maybe it's their own guilt that's stopping them from reaching out to you directly. They thought you were happy enough ... they did keep track of you, even from a distance. In their circle, among their friends, your mother running away with their employee was a matter of shame for them. And when they got over that, the added guilt of having turned you away as a baby. It's hard for them too, Khushi."
Khushi nodded, still hesitant.
"I do understand, Arnav ... at least, I'm trying to understand. But after all these years ... What if my grandfather hasn’t forgiven my mother yet? What if he doesn’t want to know me? If it’s only my grandmother who …”
“It’s his loss if that’s so,” said Arnav firmly. “You have a home and a family, Khushi. You have me, you have all of us. If he doesn’t want you, it’s completely his loss. You’re not dependent on him … for anything. Go for your grandmother’s sake. She’s always wanted to know you … she tried her best all these years to make sure you didn't lack for anything ... and she did succeed in many ways. You couldn't have had a better education if you'd been with them. She did that for you. They did that for you. Give them a chance.”
She nodded, swallowing. Arnav was right, of course he was. It was her own insecurities, her own feelings of abandonment, of being unloved, unwanted ... those feelings she had tried to hide away in a corner of her heart ... those were surfacing now as she struggled to confront her past, her reality.
Khushi was ready and waiting when Arnav arrived home. He kissed her as usual when he entered, a light casual kiss. Back in their room, though, he took her into his arms and looked deeply into her eyes.
“Did I imagine last night?” he asked her softly. “I love you, Khushi. I’ve been wanting to say it for so long …”
“So have I,” she confessed shyly, her colour rising again. “It was killing me to think about going aw…”
He kissed the words away from her lips before she could complete her sentence. Then he kissed her again. They spent the next five minutes completely lost in each other, till a firm rap on the door made Arnav look up with a resigned sigh. Akash entered, an apologetic look on his face.
“Phone call,” he said, looking at Khushi. “It’s your grandmother, bhabhi. She’s asking when you’re …?”
“We’re on our way,” said Arnav quickly. “Come, darling.”
Khushi’s heart warmed at his casual use of the word. As she made to move after him, Akash caught hold of her arm.
“You won’t leave, will you, bhabhi?” he asked urgently, and Khushi stared at him, then questioningly at Arnav.
“I told him,” Arnav said apologetically. “Yesterday. I was worried as hell, and I … No, Akash, Khushi is not going to leave. Not now, and not ever. Her job is over. Now she’s just … my wife.”
Akash looked at Khushi as though for confirmation and she nodded, her color high. A big grin came over Akash’s face.
“I knew it!” he said exultantly. “I knew it! I knew bhai was talking rubbish! You not love him! It was plain as the nose on your face that you both were crazy about each other …”
Ignoring their embarrassed faces, he gave them both a big hug.
“We’d better go,” said Arnav firmly. “Before this boy says any more …”
“You mean you have more secrets?” teased Khushi pertly, and he chuckled.
“I’ll tell you when we’re alone,” he promised, a glint in his eye, and she blushed again.
Her grandparents had checked in at a small but very exclusive hotel nearby. A liveried servant, wearing a Rajasthani pugri was waiting downstairs in the lobby for them. As soon as they entered, he came up to them and without a word escorted them to the lift.
“We’re …” Arnav began, slightly puzzled at the lack of introductions, and the man nodded.
“You look like Garima didi,” he said simply to Khushi, and Arnav’s puzzlement cleared. Khushi clutched his hand nervously as the lift rose and then came to a stop, and he pressed it reassuringly.
Prayukta Singh was waiting at the door as they entered the suite. And an elderly man, his face wrinkled, his eyes rheumy, sat stiffly on the sofa, his eyes fixed on Khushi as she entered. As he took in her face, her features, the cloudy eyes filled and a small tear trickled down one wrinkled cheek. He held out his hand stiffly to Khushi, and after a quick look at her grandmother, Khushi went forward and took it, kneeling beside him.
“Garima,” he said, his voice thick. “Garima.”
He couldn’t say any more. He held her close to him, his arms coming around her slowly. Then he released her and held her slightly away from him looking into her face.
“I’m sorry, child,” he said slowly. “Forgive me? We left you with those people … for so many years …”
“Nanaji?” whispered Khushi, and he shook his head, a slight smile showing through the tears.
“Nanasar,” he corrected. “You must learn the Rajput ways of addressing your family now … isn’t it, Prayukta?” raising his voice to his wife, who was watching the two of them with tears in her own eyes. Khushi's heart warmed at the word 'family' ... her family ...her own family.
“Indeed it is,” Prayukta said, and she came forward to Khushi. “And we will teach you … everything. You will be with us …. make up for all those years … we want to get to know you – and you, to know us.”
Khushi looked at Arnav swiftly and surprised a look of consternation on his face, so comical that she almost laughed aloud.
“She’ll visit you every day,” he promised quickly. “Are you going to stay here long? Khushi would love to get to know you …”
“We plan to move back here,” said Mayur Singh. “She is our child. Our only living family. Maybe Khushi can stay with us a few days? Give us some time with her? We’ve just found her, Arnavji …”
Arnav looked at Khushi. “So have I,” he said softly and she smiled and looked down. He turned to her grandparents.
“My niece can’t do without her,” he said apologetically. “But Khushi will visit you every day …”
“Your niece can come with her,” said Mayur Singh, and Khushi caught a glimpse of the autocratic man he must have been twenty years ago. But Arnav was a match for him.
“She’s the heart of our house,” he said, smiling at the old man to take the edge off his refusal. “We … all … can’t manage a single day without her. But she … and Radhika … will visit you every day. Now that you're moving here, you have all the time in the world to get to know each other.”
Khushi smiled and let Arnav argue with her grandfather, his possessiveness battling with the older man’s tenacity, and a feeling of being wanted, being loved, covered her like a blanket of warmth.
